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Battle of Titan
The Battle of Titan was a major battle of the Free Navy Conflict, taking place above Titan during the Consolidated Fleet Offensive. The battle was between flotillas from the Consolidated Fleet and the Free Navy's Saturnian Fleet – the largest Free Navy force outside of the Jovian System.The Expanse: Babylon's Ashes, Chapter 48. The Consolidated Fleet's battle group was composed of two flotillas: One commanded by Michio Pa and numbering 2 ships, and one commanded by the MCRN and numbering at least 7 ships. With the Free Navy's Saturnian Fleet numbering at 15 ships, this was one of the largest space battles in history, alongside the Io Campaign and the Battle of Callisto.The Expanse: Babylon's Ashes, Chapter 42. Prelude With the liberation of Ceres and the discovery of the Free Navy's scortched-earth tactics, the Consolidated Fleet was stretched thin across the solar system. However, the tactics used by the Free Navy spurred Michio Pa's mutiny and ultimate defection. Additionally, it brought hitherto unallied OPA factions into the Consolidated Fleet. With the rest of MCRN joining the Consolidated Fleet following the election of Prime Minister Richards, the fleet pushes an offensive. To weaken the Free Navy's hold on the Sol System, they decide to capture Medina Station. However, only a small force is available to commit to an extrasolar engagement. To allow such a force a chance to assault the station, a massive diversion occupying the entire Free Navy is required. Many battles are subsequently and simultaneously enacted, of which The Battle of Titan is included.The Expanse: Babylon's Ashes, Chapter 38. Prior to the Battle of Titan, Michio Pa's forces assaulted Pallas Station. Instead of neutralizing the docks, the station was blockaded. Due to the change of tactics the Panshin was left left behind to oversee the blockade. As such, Pa's forces were significantly reduced during the Battle of Titan.The Expanse: Babylon's Ashes, Chapter 41. Battle The MCRN battle group engaged the Free Navy over Titan, attempting to draw the Free Navy out of position as the ''Connaught'' and ''Serrio Mal'' approached under Pa's command. Pa's flotilla approached the battle spinward and from aboveNote: downward would presumably be defined by angular dynamics, the method by which "spinward" is defined. In this case, "above the ecliptic" would be oriented and pointed to by Saturn's angular momentum vector, with the ecliptic being the plane of Saturn's orbit about Sol. See Wikipedia's articles on angular momentum and cylindrical coordinate systems for further details., attempting to flank the distracted Free Navy and engage them from an unexpected trajectory. They engaged the Free Navy forces at a high velocity, attacking the center of their formation. The diversion proved successful, with the Free Navy unaware of Pa's flanking maneuver until she was upon them. Consequently, her ingress to their formation scattered the Free Navy's ships and drew heavy fire from them. This confusion provided an opening for a massive torpedo barrage from the MCRN battle group, immediately destroying one of the Free Navy ships and adding to the chaos the Free Navy was then experiencing. Aftermath Both sides drew significant casualties. Both the Connaught and the Serrio Mal were lost in the battle. Survivors of the battle, including Michio Pa and much of her crew, were brought to the resorts on Titan, commandeering their facilities as hospitals. The entirety of the Saturnian Fleet was lost in the battle. The engagement proved a success for the Consolidated Fleet Offensive. In addition to routing the Saturnian fleet, it, along with the other battles of the Offensive, proved a successful distraction for the Battle of Medina Station. Category:Conflicts and Confrontations